Starting brace for starting gates



June 2, 1959 J. c. PURCELL 2,888,904

STARTING BRACE FOR STARTING GATES Filed May 9 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVIENTOR; (fa/1n C. Puree/L June 2, 1959 J. c; PURCELL 2,838,904

STARTING BRACE FOR STARTING GATES Filed May 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

f /m C. Farce June 2, 1959 J. c. PURCELL 8,

STARTING BRACE FOR STARTING GATES Filed May 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. John C. Puree- United States STARTING BRACE FOR STARTING GATESJohn C. Purcell, New York, N.Y., assignor to Puett Electrical StartingGate Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication May 9, 1956, Serial No. 583,760

12 Claims. (Cl. 119-155) The present invention is addressed to a devicefor assisting in getting the horses started when they leave the startinggate at the beginning of a race.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a brace which isautomatically properly positioned with reference to the forwardlyopening doors of the starting gate. This brace is located on the tracksurface so as to form a surface which the rear feet of the horses maypush against as they spring forward in the gate, at the start of a race.

A further object is to provide a starting brace provided with means forquickly attaching or detaching the same to a race track starting gate.

An additional object is to provide mechanism for readily raising andlowering the starting brace from an operative to an inoperative positionon its support on the starting gate.

Other objects will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view partly broken away, showingone form of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of one of the hydraulic cylindersshown in Figure l, and the brace, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a second form of theinvention;

Figure 4 is a similar view of a third form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a similar view of a fourth form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a similar view of a fifth form of the invention;

Figure 7 is a view of a structure similar to Figure 3 showing one end ofthe gate in perspective, with a source of power for raising and loweringthe brace; and

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the brace, partly broken away.

Race tracks for flat races are provided with a top surface composed of amixture of sand, dirt and some clay of the proper consistency to give aspringy surface for the horses feet during the race. In dry weather thissurface provides a fast track whilst during weather in which the trackis subjected to continual rains, the track surface becomes spongy oreven muddy, providing a slow track.

Under either of these conditions, and particularly during the lattercondition considerable difliculty is experienced by the horses inleaving the starting gate when the doors thereof are opened. The forceapplied by the horses feet in springing forward from a standing positionin the gate, causes their hind feet to slip, or at least to dig into theground to some extent. When the track surface is saturated with water,the ground actually applies suction to their feet. In other words, someof the force applied by the horses is lost in their first movement in aforward direction, due to the softness or sponginess of the tracksurface.

Patented June 2, 1959 The present invention overcomes this deficiency byproviding a hard, comparatively unyielding surface adjacent to wherehind feet of the horses rest, and by which they are able topropelthemselves forward at the start of a race, without danger ofslipping or slewing of their hind feet during their first movementforward out of the starting gate.

Seventy-five percent of all thoroughgred races in the United States areso-called sprin races of six furlongs or less, and a good start isdeemed absolutely necessary. There are many times during the conduct ofhorse racing that the race track surface, especially if muddy orslippery, will break beneath the horses as they attempt to springforward at the start of the race, causing them to slide backward andsometimes stumble. This occurs most frequently at the hind legs due tothe great strain placed on them in lurching forward from a standingposition. If a horse gets off to a bad start, his chances of winning areconsiderably reduced. Therefore, if the horses are to have a fair chanceto win a race, support must be given by the use of the starting brace orbar to prevent rearward slipping and to provide a safe means of leavingthe starting gate in a well-balanced position and with a minimum of lostmotion.

Referring to the drawings, the starting gate is indicated at A inFigures 1 and 7. It consists of an overhead structure 10 having groundsupporting wheels 12 and a plurality of stanchions 14 for supporting theusual stall partitions, not shown. Usually a pair of stanchions are usedfor each partition, but only the rear stanchions have been illustrated.

A plurality of cylinders 16 are removably mounted on the spacedstanchions, three being shown in Figure l, but any number of these maybe used depending upon the length of the starting gate, and the weightof the starting brace. Each cylinder is provided with a piston 18 shownin full lines in Figure 2. A source of fluid pressure, not shown, thatmay be liquid or air, is connected to the conduits 20 and 22 that extendinto each of the cylinders 16 on opposite sides of its piston, and fluidmay be admitted to opposite sides of each cylinder by valves 24 and 26.A four-way valve, not shown, may be located so as to control theentrance of fluid to or from the conduits 20- and 22 in any conventionalconstruction. Each cylinder is held in position by straps 28 that arewelded or held to the stanchion. The open ends of the straps are held tohold or release its cylinder by turned over ends 30 which are held byscrews or threaded nuts and bolts 32. The conduits are preferablycomposed of flexible rubber hose so that by loosening the nuts from thebolts 32 the cylin der and its hose may readily be removed.

Rigidly connected to each piston 18 isa rod 34 that slides in a guide orbracket 36, removably attached by machine screws or bolts 38 to thestanchion 14, in order that the rod may readily be removed with itscylinder from the stanchions.

The lower end of each rod has an eye 40 in which is located a link 42connecting the rod to a snap hook 54-. The latter is adapted toremovably engage a loop 46 rigidly connected to the top surface of thestarting brace 48.

The starting brace in each of the figures is the same. As shown inFigure 2, it consists of an inner member constructed preferably of asteel member 50 that is U-shaped in cross-section. This steel member isabout six inches Wide and is made from a bent plate about /4 inch inthickness and is so shaped as to present a flattened or blunt edge infront and an open end at the back. The entire outer surface of the bentplate has vulcanized to it a neoprene or rubber cover 52 so as to form ainch thick coating over the surface of the steel. The starting braceshould extend the entire length of the starting gate except the extremeends thereof as shown in Figure l. Spaced along the length of thestarting brace are apertures 54 extending through both flanges thereof.These apertures are for the reception of spikes or nails 56 that areused to temporarily fix the starting brace in position at the start of arace. These nails are driven into the track surface, i.e., the groundforming the race course proper, at the start of a race, and they areremoved shortly after the horses leave the starting gate at thebeginning of a race, following which fluid is let into the lower end ofeach cylinder 16 to cause upward movement of each piston 18 to therebyraise the starting brace from the surface of the track some 18 to 24inches. The starting gate is then moved off the track. Then, prior tothe start of another race, the gate is moved to the same or at anotherposition on the track, i.e., for a 4 /2 or 6 furlong race, or for a milerace. When the gate is in proper position, the pistons in each cylinderare forced downwardly by fluid pressure causing the starting brace to belowered until it engages the track surface, following which fluidpressure to the cylinders is turned off and nails 56 are again used toanchor the starting brace in proper position on the track.

Each of the other forms of the invention accomplishes the same purpose,i.e., the lowering. of the starting brace into position prior to thestart of the race, fixing of the same in position, and the raising ofthe same after the race, which latter permits complete mobility of thestarting gate. However, in the several modifications, various mechanicaland electrical-mechanical means are provided for raising and loweringthe starting brace to and from the track surface.

It will be understood that only one lowering and raising mechanism isshown in these several figures in order to conserve space, but thatactually at least two of them are used, one at each end of the gate, andthat one or more of them are used intermediate the ends thereof,depending upon the length of the starting gate and the weight of thestarting brace.

Referring now to Figure 3, the stanchion is shown by numeral 58, itbeing understood that several of the hereinafter described raising andlowering devices are used with each gate, each being mounted on separatestanchions. A U-shaped guide 60 is mounted on the stanchion bolts 62.Slidably mounted in the guide is rack 64 having teeth 66 that areengaged by the pinion 68.

Rigidly connected as by welding to guide 60 is frame 70, having abearing, not shown, through which shaft 72 extends. On this shaft issplined the hand wheel 74 and the pinion 68. Mounted adjacent the lowerend of the rack is an arm 76 that mounts the rod 78 having an eye 30 atits lower end, which latter supports the link 82. The link mounts thesnap hook 84, which latter is engaged in the loop 86 rigidly afiixed tothe top surface of the starting brace 88. The brace is constructed inaccordance with the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to Figure 4, a stanchion 90 mounts a pawl and ratchetconstruction. In this construction bracket 94 is attached to thestanchion by the threaded bolts 92. The bracket rigidly mounts the pawland ratchet construction. that includes a curved rack 98 having teeth96. A handle 100 is provided with a pawl 102 for adjustably engaging theteeth 96. This handle is pivotally mounted on shaft 104 fixed to thebracket, the handle forming part of a bell-crank, the other arm of whichis indicated at 106. The upper part 264 of this handle 100 has a releasemeans 266 for the pawl 102. The other arm 106 of the bell-crank isprovided with a pivot 108 which pivotally mounts the supporting rod 110.The lower end of this rod has an eye 112 in which is mounted the link114 which latter supports the snap hook 116. The snap hook removablyengages the loop 118 which is attached to the starting brace, the latterhaving apertures 120 for nails 122. These nails, only one of which isshown in this figure, are used for temporarily attaching the startingbrace to the surface of the track.

In Figure 5 the stanchion 222 has a bracket 124, removably mounted on itby bolts 126. The bracket has U-shaped portion 128 in which slides therack 132 having teeth 133. These teeth are engaged by rack segment 134splined on shaft 136 in bearings 138, and mounted on this shaft is theoperating handle 140. Mounted, as in the previously described figures,on the end of the rack is the starting brace, not shown.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 and others, but showing a turnbuckle to connect parts of the shaft, connected to the starting bracefor quick removal thereof. The numeral shows the stanchion, 152 thebracket, 154 the rack segment fixed thereto, 156 the handle carryingpawl 158, 160 the other portion of the bell crank, 162 the primary rodportion, and 164 the secondary rod portion, and 166 the starting brace.

These rod portions are threaded at 168 and 170 and are engaged by theturn buckle 172.

In Figure 7 the gate superstructure supports shaft 200, driven byreversible electric motor 202. At the ends of the shaft are pinions 204and 206. Numerals 208 and 210 are stanchions that removably support bybolts, not shown, channel guides 212 and 214. These guide racks 216 and218 that have mounted at their ends the opposite ends of the startingbrace 220.

The single source of power in the claims includes a source of fluidpressure that may be liquid or air which is connected to the conduitsthat extend into each of the cylinders 16 on opposite sides of thepiston, or a source of electrical current for actuating the electricoperating means such as the motor 202 shown in Figure 7.

The phrase substantially beneath said rear door means in the claimscovers a construction wherein said brace is located beneath some portionof the rear doors of a starting gate, assuming that the starting gate isprovided with doors of V-shap'ed configuration. Where a fiat door isused, the above phrase means any approximate location which is beneathsaid rear door that is in such a position that the feet of the horsewill engage the brace when the hind quarters of the horse are inapproximate or actual engagement with the said rear door;

The above description and drawings disclose several embodiments of theinvention, and specific language has been employed in describing theseveral figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that nolimitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, andthat various alterations and modifications may be made such as wouldoccur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. In combination with a mobile starting gate having a plurality ofmeans defining stalls, each of said stalls having rear door means, anelongated starting brace means movably supported from said gate andlocated at substantially the level of the track surface substantiallybeneath the said rear door means when in closed position, said bracesupporting means comprising a plurality of elongated members attached tosaid brace means, guide means on said stall-defining means, saidelongated members having operative engagement with said guide means, anda single power elevating and lowering means operatively associated withsaid elongated members.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans includes an electrical motor means.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans further includes gear means.

4. The structure of claim 2, said power elevating and lowering meansfurther including gear means.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans further includes a pinion means operatively connected to saidpower elevating and lowering means, and racks operatively associatedwith certain of said elongated members, each of said racks being engagedby said pinion means.

6. The structure of claim 2 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans further includes a pinion means operatively connected to saidpower elevating and lowering means, and racks operatively associatedwith certain of said elongated members, each of said racks being engagedby said pinion means.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans includes manually controlled fluid operated means.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans includes hydraulic means.

9. The structure of claim 7 wherein said last named means comprisescylindrical means mounted on said plurality of means defining stalls,and piston means connected to said elongated members.

10. The structure of claim 8 wherein said last named means comprisescylindrical means mounted on said plurality of means defining stalls,and piston means connected to said elongated members.

11. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power elevating and loweringmeans includes motor means located 26 above said stalls.

12. In combination with a mobile starting gate having an overheadstructure, a plurality of means defining stalls, each of said stallshaving rear door means, an elongated starting brace means movablysupported from said gate and located at substantially the level of thetrack surface substantially beneath the said rear door means when inclosed position, said brace supporting means comprising a plurality ofelongated members attached to said brace means, guide means on saidstall-defining means, said elongated members having operative engagementwith said guide means, a single power elevating and lowering meansoperatively associated with said elongated members, said power elevatingand lowering means further including electric motor means and meansmounting the same located on said overhead structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,701,026 Bresnahan Feb. 5, 1929 2,066,447 Bahr Ian. 5, 1937 2,200,504Keen May 14, 1940 2,273,493 McMillan Feb. 17, 1942 2,507,994 Pierce May16, 1950 2,534,159 Brouwer et al Dec. 12, 1950 2,550,399 Blake Apr. 24,1951 2,719,610 Allison Oct. 4, 1955

